Last weekend I was watching the movie Serenity on TV. I’d heard of the movie before, but never had the chance to watch it. Despite having never seen the show in which it’s based, I decided to watch anyway.
I loved it! The best part was that my roommate walked by at one point and mentioned that he had the DVD collection of Firefly. Three guesses as to what I’ve been doing all week…
I think the thing I really like about the show is that it’s about a band of people trying to eke out a living traipsing through space while dealing with double-crosses and bouts of sexual tension. If there’s one thing that captivates my interest, it’s a good heist. I also like the mix of old and new technology, like the use of laser guns and bullet-shooting guns. Some sci-fi stories are so hi-tech they seem a little too “sanitary”, if you know what I mean, but Firefly doesn’t have any of that.
Like all the other fans out there, I’m disappointed that there is only one season. Can anyone recommend similar works? It doesn’t even have to be TV or film, I’d love some book recommendations, too. It doesn’t need to have the Western thread that Firefly has going on, but the heist aspect is a must. To give you an idea of what I’d call “similar”, I’d say the book The Lies of Locke Lamora is in the same vein. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a fantasy novel about a group of talented rogues pulling heists around a big city. Another similarity is that the world isn’t hanging in the balance here - it’s just about some people living their lives.
If you are willing to check out Anime it might be worth trying to get hold of “Cowboy Bebop”. It follows a group of bounty hunters flying around a rather contemporary looking solar system, it’s certainly to closest match for Firefly’s general vibe that I’ve seen.
Another Doper makes a thread about how wonderful Firefly is. Is it that time of the month?
If you want to fill the void in your soul left by Firefly, a good place to start is with other Joss Whedon shows – Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Dollhouse. Otherwise there is really nothing else like it.
And Doctor Horrible, how could you forget about Doctor Horrible?
“I’ve got a PH.D in Horrible-ness”
“And these, are not the Hammer…”
Doctor Horrible’s lab coat is the same coat used by the Alliance Doctors in Firefly, and Doc H’s “Death Ray” is an Alliance sonic rifle held upside down, repainted, and with a scope on the top, err…bottom
I’m joyous that you were able to watch and appreciate Firefly. I’m also happy to see that we can add one more person to the “Life Without Firefly” personal hell we all get to go through. Welcome, you’ll be here forever.
If you haven’t seen it, *Farscape *is worth checking out. And although only Mal Reynolds appears, be sure to check out the “Vampire Weekend” episode of Castle.
I’ve been meaning to check out Farscape, but if I’m going to be watching a show on DVD, I’m darned well going to watch it in order, and the first season seems rather hard to come by (it’s not on Netflix, at least).
Yes! Definitely check out the expanded universe stuff. Especially because I think they are finally going to do a Book origin story.
I personally think Firefly is Joss’s best series. Buffy and Angel were great, but they were rooted too much in fantasy (basically live action cartoons) and humor to be taken entirely seriously as a whole. Dollhouse was a ‘realistic’ series, but was not as consistent in quality, especially in the penultimate episode… Firefly had great humor but was rooted in (sci-fi) realism, and the film resolution was fantastic both as a series ender and as a film in it’s own right…
In a sci fi/fantasy book forum I visit occasionally, I searched for threads related to Firefly, and found a recommendation for a book called Retribution Falls. The recommender described it as “A Firefly-inspired work as written by Scott Lynch after playing too much Crimson Skies.”
Now that sounds like my kind of book right about now!
That would have been great news, if, A, I had more than a couple of weeks left on my Netflix subscription, and B, I had a computer capable of using the instant view.
Maybe after I’ve accumulated a fresh new set of good movies I haven’t seen, and after I’ve gotten a new computer, I’ll sign up for Netflix again.
I am a comparative latecomer to Firefly - I saw the movie a while back, but couldn’t find a way to see the series because it was difficult to find/expensive on DVD here (and the online streamed versions don’t work outside the USA).
I stumbled upon the box set at a bargain price second hand just before Christmas and my wife seized it and wrapped it up for me.
I watched two episodes a night in the first few days after Christmas, then cut back a bit, then rewatched a few before getting to Objects In Space sometime in January.
I really like the whole thing, and I completely see what all the fuss is about - there’s no one thing about Firefly that makes it work, but the gestalt of all the little things is just highly pleasing and entertaining.
Although I would like to see more, I’m not sure I’m going to mourn if that never happens (which seems likely) - I’m happy enough to accept it as one of those things that exists as a small, highly-regarded run - and is all the more endearing for it (like, say, Fawlty Towers or Bagpuss).
